Apparatus for feeding pulverized fuel to furnaces.



No. 735,932. PATENTE D AUG. 11. 1903.

J. E. BALDWIN.

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING PULVERIZED FUEL T0 FURNACES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 14, 1903.

N0 MODEL. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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APPLIGATION FILED MAY 14, 1903. N0 MODEL; 4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

PATENTED AUG. 11, 1903.

W1 T/VES [/VVENTOR 7 9 By A M AzfomeyR N0.735,932. PATENTED AUG. 11, 1903.

J. E. BALDWIN. APPARATUS FOR FEEDING PULVERIZED FUEL TO FURNACES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 14, 1903. N0 MODEL A 4 SHEETS-SHEET s.

W/ T/VES [/VVE/VTOR I 9 CGMM 2' A By No. 735,932. PATENTED AUG. 11, 1903.

' J. E. BALDWIN. l I APPARATUS FOR FEEDING PULVERIZED FUEL T0 FURNACES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 14. 1903.

N0 MODEL. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4- W1 T/VESS [/VVENTQR fl gmaswvmk.

' I By F W A/lmmqv z UNITED STATES Patented August 11, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES EDUARD BALDWIN, OF EAST WILLISTON, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO PULVERIZED- COAL STOKER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

APPARATUS FOR FE EDlNG PunvEmzEn Fun-:1. To FURNACES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 735,932, dated August 11, 1903. Application filed May 14, 1903. Eerial No. 157,133. (No model.)

To ail whom it'may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES EDUARD BALD- WIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at East Williston, in the county of Nassau and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Feeding Pulverized Fuel to Furnaces; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as Will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in that class of automatic stokers in which the fuel is reduced to a pulverized condition, mixed with air, and discharged into a conducting-chamber; and it consists of the novel features hereinafter described,and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which is shown one formof apparatus for carrying the invention into effect, the said invention being fully disclosed in the following description and claims.

The object of my invention is to secure the greatest possible economy in the preparation of the fuel and at the same time to effect an accurate and positive regulation of the feed,

so that the amount of fuel furnished to the combustion-chambershall be accurately proportioned to the requirements of the boiler.-

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 represents a general view of apparatus for preparing and feeding fuel in a pulverized condition to a number of furnacesf Fig. 2 is an enlarged end elevation of the feeding, pulverizing, and ejecting mechanism employed in connection with each furnace, a portion of a furnace being illustrated in section. Fig. 3 represents a longitudinal sectional view of the feeding, pulverizing, and ejecting mechanism illustrated in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a top plan View of the feeding mechanism. Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view of the same. Fig. 6 is a partial horizontal section of the feeding device, taken just above the bottom thereof and showing the discharge-aperture and the regulating device therefor.

In carrying out my invention I employ mechanism of any preferred kindfor reducing the fuel to a substantially uniform granulated condition, in which it closely resembles granulated sugar in size of particles. The

particular mechanism by which this is accomplished does not form part of my present invention, and this portion of the apparatus, which I term the granulator for convenience of reference, is indicated in Fig. 1 by the reference-letter A and may be of any desired construction which Will produce the result stated. The granulated fuel produced by the granulator A is delivered to a storage-bin B,

one day. The storage-tank B is supplied witha number of distributing pipes or chutes b h, each leading to a separate apparatus located in position to feed one of the furnaces F, before referred to. In the drawingsI have shown three of said furnaces; but it will be obvious that the invention is applicable to a much greater number. Adjacent to each of said furnaces F' is located a combined feeding, pulverizing, and ejecting mechanism, as before stated, and as these devices are similar in construction a description of one will suf fice for all. Referring now to these devices, one of which is illustrated in detail in Figs. 2 to 5, inclusive, 0 represents a horizontallydisposed substantially cylindrical casing, preferably formed in two halves hinged at one side and secured at the opposite side by bolts or screws for convenience in getting access to Within this casing is a pulverthe interior. izing-chamber c, communlcating with a cylindrical fan-casing c, which I term the injector-chamber, the latter being provided with a tangential outlet 0 connected by a pipe-section d with a nozzle D of any desired construction discharging into the combustionchamber of a boiler-furnace F through the usual fire-doorf. A horizontal driving-shaft E extends through the casing G and is journaled in bearings at each end of the casing. This shaft is provided within the pulverizing-chamber c with a series of radial arms provided With pulverizing-blades c for carrying the granulated fuel around the pulverizing-chamber and reducing it to a powdered condition by attrition. The shaft E is also provided within the injector-chambers with radial arms carrying fan-blades 0 These fan-blades when in operation draw a current of air through a central aperture 0 in the outer end of the pulverizing-chamber and through the pulverizing-chamher into the ejector-chamber and discharge it, together with thepulverized fuel, into the combustion chamber of the furnace.

Upon the top of the pulverizing-chamber is located the adjustable feeding apparatus. (Shown in detail in Figs. 4 and 5.) Thisdevice comprises a bed-plate G, to which is secured an upwardly-extending annular casing G, forming a hopper. The upper face of said bottom plate is provided with a fiat ring g, preferably of hardened steel, secured thereto by countersunk screws, as shown, or in any other desired way, and forming a hardened wearing-surface. g represents an aperture in the bottom plate for the discharge of granulated fuel, and the ring g is provided with a similar orifice g to register therewith. In the upper portion of the orifice g is an adjustable valve, consisting in this instance of a cylindrical rod 9 of substantially the same diameter as the discharge-aperture g, the said rod having a screw-threaded portion g (see Fig. 4,) engaging a threaded portion connected with the bottom plate. In this I instance I have shown the bottom plate G provided with a perforated boss 9 through which the threaded rod extends, and said rod engages a nut g secured to the end of said boss, as shown in Fig. 4. The outer end of the rod 9 is provided with a handwheel g or other suitable hand-operated device for turning said rod. It will be seen that by rotating this hand-wheel the rod can be moved longitudinally to open the discharge-orifice g more or less, as may be desired, and thereby regulate the discharge of granulated material therefrom. The discharge-orifice g is located in such manner as to deliver the granulated fuel to the pulverizing-chamber. In the present instance the granulated fuel falls into a chute 0 which conducts it into the pulverizing-chamber. Within the hopper or casing G is located a revoluble cone H, mounted upon a shaft h, on the lower end of which and below the bottom plate G is provided a worm-wheel h, said parts being preferably provided with ball-bearings, as indicated in the drawings, to minimize friction. The larger end of the cone H is provided just above the wearingplate 9 with a ring 7212, provided with a series of outwardly-extending feet or webs 71. I prefer to form these feet on a separate ring, which is attached by screws or otherwise to the cone H, as herein shown, so that the said ring and feet can be replaced in case of wear and breakage without replacing the entire cone. In order to prevent the granulated fuel from passing down through the discharge-aperture g when the machine is at rest, I provide a shield above the said aper ture and at such a distance above as to permit the feet k to pass beneathit. This shield is preferably in the form of a conic section 72 as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, and is secured by screws to the casing G. The casing G is preferably of such size as to receive one of the supply tubes or chutes b from the storagetank, which fits snugly within the upper portion of the same. Power is applied for driving the worm-wheel 71, by means of a worm-shaft H',- (see Fig. 4,) provided with a worm, which'engages the said worm-wheel, the said shaft H being driven from the main shaft E. To this end the main shaft is provided with a pulley E, connected by a suitable belt (not shown) to the pulley H on the worm-shaft H. (See Fig. 2.)

I have ascertained by experiment that granulated fuel such as that previously described will be fed by gravity through pipes or chutes without packing, as is the case with powdered fuel, and therefore in the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 1 a continual supply of granulated fuel is insured to each of the feeding devices of the several machines for feeding, pulverizing, and discharging the fuel to the furnace. chines before referred to it will be seen that the revolutions of the cone H and radial feet I h will'keep the material in the hopper or casing G agitated and will positively carry portions thereof over the valve controlled or regulated discharge-opening g, so that the feed will be positive and continuous, and may be accurately regulated by increasing or decreasing the size of the discharge-aperture by means of the threaded rod or valve 9 previously described.

It is to be noted that the granulating or primary reduction of the fuel is, effected on a large scale by mechanism of sufficient size and power to supply the granulated fuel for the required number of furnaces instead of having each of the stoking-machines provided with mechanism for efiecting this primary reduction. As a result the primary reduction can be elfected with much greater economy and the stoking-machines being relieved of this work can be operated at a very small expense for power.

Another advantage which is obtained by my invention is that the individual stoking devices are relieved of the great strains and During the operation of the ma-v wear incident to the primary reduction of the fuel which is liable to break parts and occasionally disable one or more of the machines in a large plant, especially where the fuel contains a large percentage of ore, slate, and other refractory material, as is often the case. In my apparatus the granulating mechanism being built on a large scale can be made sufficiently heavy to withstand strains. which would break or injure a smaller machine, and, further, the stopping of the granulating-machine temporarily for the purpose of cleaning or repairing the same would not interfere with the operation of the boilers, as my invention contemplates that the storage-bin, as before stated, shall contain a sufficient quantity of granulated fuel to supply all the furnaces in the plant for a determined period, which may be greater or less, as desired.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. In an apparatus for feeding pulverized fuel to a plurality of furnaces, the combination with a common grinding mechanism for reducing the fuel to a granulated condition of substantially uniform fineness, of a common storage bin arranged to receive the ground fuel from said grinding apparatus, a plurality of independent stoking devices,each comprising a feeding device, connected with said common storage-bin,a pulverizing mechanism arranged to receive the ground material from the feeding device, and further reduce it, and an injecting mechanism for delivering the pulverized fuel to afurnace, substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus for feeding pulverized fuel to a plurality of furnaces, the combination with a common grinding mechanism for reducing the fuel to a granulated condition of substantially uniform fineness, of a common storage bin arranged to receive the ground fuel from the grinding apparatus, of a series of independent stoking devices, each comprising a feeding-hopper connected with said storage-bin, a vertically-disposed rotary feeding device located in said hopper and supporting the weight of the granulated fuel, a feed-regulating device for regulating the discharge of fuel from said hopper, a pulverizing mechanism arranged to receive the granulated fuel from said hopper and further reduce it, and an injecting mechanism for delivering the pulverized material to a furnace, substantially as described.

3. In an apparatus for feeding pulverized fuel to a plurality of furnaces, the combination with a common storage-bin for containing ground fuel in a granulated condition of substantially uniform fineness, of a plurality of independent stoking deviceseach comprising a feeding-hopper connected with the storage-bin, a vertically-disposed rotary feeding device located in said hopper supporting the weight of the granulated fuel, a pulverizing mechanism arranged to receive the granulated fuel from the feeding device and further reduce it and an injecting mechanism for delivering the pulverized fuel to afurnace, substantially as described.

4. In an apparatus for feeding pulverized fuel to a plurality of furnaces, the combination with a common receiver for granulated fuel, of a plurality of stoking devices each comprising a feeding-hopper provided with a delivery-aperture and connected with said receiver, a rotary feeding device in said hopper, provided with devices for carrying the granulated fuel over said delivery-aperture, an adjustable feed-regulating device for controlling said aperture, a pulverizing-chamber adapted to receive the granulated material from the delivery-aperture of the feeding device, rotary pulverizing-blades arranged in said chamber, an injecting-casing in communication with said pulverizing-chamber, and rotary injecting-blades arranged therein for delivering the pulverized fuel to a furnace, substantially as described.

5. In apparatus for feeding pulverized fuel to furnaces, the combination with a feedinghopper, adapted to receive the fuel in a substantially uniform granulated condition, and provided with a delivery-aperture in its bottom, a rotary cone in said hopper provided with lateral projections adapted to pass over said delivery-apertu re,a pulverizing-chamber arranged to receive the granulated fuel from said delivery-aperture and pulverize it, an injecting device for delivering the pulverized fuel to a furnace and an adjustable regulating device for said delivery-aperture in said feeding-hopper, substantially as described.

6. In apparatus for feeding pulverized fuel to a furnace, the combination with devices for supplying fuel in a substantially uniform granulated condition,of a feeding-hopper provided with a delivery-aperture in its bottom, a rotary device in said hopper provided with lateral projections adapted to pass over said aperture, a longitudinally-adjustable rod arranged in said aperture for regulating the quantity delivered from said aperture, pulverizing mechanism arranged to receive the granulated fuel from said delivery-aperture and injecting mechanism for the pulverized fuel, substantially as described.

7. In apparatus for feeding pulverized fuel to a furnace, the combination with devices for supplying fuel in a substantially uniform granulated condition, of a feeding-hopper provided with a delivery-aperture in its bottom, a rotary device in said hopper provided with lateral projections adapted to pass over said aperture,a longitudinally-adj ustable rod arranged in said aperture for regulating the quantity delivered from said aperture, said rod having a threaded portion for adjusting the same and means for rotating said rod, pulverizing mechanism arranged to receive the granulated material from said deliveryaperture and injecting mechanism for delivering the pulverized material to a furnace, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES EDUARD BALDWIN.

Witnesses:

EDWARD O. ARILA, W. M. HADDOOK. 

